Japanese Health Insurance Phrases for City Hall and Clinics

At city hall, say 国民健康保険の加入手続きをしたいです (kokumin kenkou hoken no kanyuu tetsuzuki o shitai desu). At a clinic, say 保険資格を確認してください (hoken shikaku o kakunin shite kudasai).

The key is identifying the insurer and current eligibility. Job changes, moving and dependent-status changes can create temporary mismatches.

Key takeaways

• Distinguish National Health Insurance from employee insurance.
• Report job or address changes promptly to the responsible insurer.
• My Number Card registration is not the same as the 12-digit My Number.
• An eligibility certificate supports people not using My Number as insurance proof.
• Ask which treatment is insured before non-urgent work.
• Keep receipts and itemized statements.
• Ask about high-cost medical expense limits for large bills.
• Never post My Number or medical documents in public practice.

In this guide: vocabulary | enrollment | changes | clinic | cost | problems | scripts | practice

Essential health insurance vocabulary

Use the formal scheme name shown by the insurer.

City hall enrollment phrases

Opening:

国民健康保険の加入手続きをしたいです。
I would like to enroll in National Health Insurance.

Explain the trigger:

日本に転入しました。
Nihon ni tennyuu shimashita.

会社を退職して、職場の健康保険を喪失しました。
Kaisha o taishoku shite, shokuba no kenkou hoken o soushitsu shimashita.

扶養から外れました。
Fuyou kara hazuremashita.

Ask for documents:

必要書類を教えてください。
Hitsuyou shorui o oshiete kudasai.

健康保険資格喪失証明書は必要ですか。
Kenkou hoken shikaku soushitsu shoumeisho wa hitsuyou desu ka.

加入日はいつになりますか。
Kanyuu-bi wa itsu ni narimasu ka.

MHLW materials for foreign residents explain that eligible residents must join a public insurance system, but the correct scheme depends on employment and status. Confirm with the municipality or employer/insurer.

Job and address changes

New job:

会社の健康保険に加入しました。国民健康保険の脱退手続きをしたいです。
Kaisha no kenkou hoken ni kanyuu shimashita. Kokumin kenkou hoken no dattai tetsuzuki o shitai desu.

Moving:

別の市から転入しました。保険の手続きは何が必要ですか。
Betsu no shi kara tennyuu shimashita. Hoken no tetsuzuki wa nani ga hitsuyou desu ka.

Leaving Japan:

日本を出国する予定です。脱退と保険料の精算について確認したいです。
Nihon o shukkoku suru yotei desu. Dattai to hokenryou no seisan ni tsuite kakunin shitai desu.

Dependent change:

配偶者の扶養に入れるか確認したいです。
Haiguusha no fuyou ni haireru ka kakunin shitai desu.

Do not assume one office automatically closes another scheme. Ask what proof must be submitted and from which date.

My Number insurance registration

マイナンバーカードを保険証として登録したいです。
Mai nanbaa kaado o hokenshou to shite touroku shitai desu.

登録状況を確認する方法を教えてください。
Touroku joukyou o kakunin suru houhou o oshiete kudasai.

資格確認書はいつ届きますか。
Shikaku kakuninsho wa itsu todokimasu ka.

The Digital Agency says current paper health-insurance cards stopped being newly issued in December 2024. People not using a registered My Number Card receive an eligibility certificate under the current system.

My Number Card is used for authentication; staff do not need you to announce the 12-digit number at an open reception desk.

Clinic reception phrases

初診です。保険資格を確認してください。
Shoshin desu. Hoken shikaku o kakunin shite kudasai.

マイナンバーカードの読み取りができませんでした。
Mai nanbaa kaado no yomitori ga dekimasen deshita.

資格確認書を持っています。
Shikaku kakuninsho o motte imasu.

最近転職したため、保険情報が更新中です。
Saikin tenshoku shita tame, hoken jouhou ga koushinchuu desu.

今日はいったん全額支払いになりますか。後で精算できますか。
Kyou wa ittan zengaku shiharai ni narimasu ka. Ato de seisan dekimasu ka.

Ask for the exact refund/reimbursement process and deadline; do not rely on a general answer from another facility.

Asking what is covered

この診察は保険適用ですか。
Kono shinsatsu wa hoken tekiyou desu ka.

保険が適用されない部分はありますか。
Hoken ga tekiyou sarenai bubun wa arimasu ka.

自費の検査を受ける前に、金額を教えてください。
Jihi no kensa o ukeru mae ni, kingaku o oshiete kudasai.

保険診療と自費診療を分けて説明してください。
Hoken shinryou to jihi shinryou o wakete setsumei shite kudasai.

Request a written estimate for non-urgent private-pay treatment.

Premiums, bills and high-cost care

At city hall:

保険料の計算方法を説明してください。
Hokenryou no keisan houhou o setsumei shite kudasai.

納付書が届いていません。
Noufusho ga todoite imasen.

支払い期限を過ぎてしまいました。相談できますか。
Shiharai kigen o sugite shimaimashita. Soudan dekimasu ka.

For large bills:

高額療養費制度の対象になりますか。
Kougaku ryouyouhi seido no taishou ni narimasu ka.

窓口での支払い上限を適用できますか。
Madoguchi de no shiharai jougen o tekiyou dekimasu ka.

申請に必要な書類と期限を教えてください。
Shinsei ni hitsuyou na shorui to kigen o oshiete kudasai.

The Digital Agency says My Number insurance authentication can allow eligible maximum co-payment information to be applied at reception with consent. Individual eligibility and income category require official confirmation.

Eligibility and card problems

If the terminal says no credentials:

「資格情報なし」と表示されました。保険者に確認したほうがよいですか。
Shikaku jouhou nashi to hyouji saremashita. Hokensha ni kakunin shita hou ga yoi desu ka.

If the card cannot scan:

機器の不具合の場合、別の方法で資格確認できますか。
Kiki no fuguai no baai, betsu no houhou de shikaku kakunin dekimasu ka.

If lost:

マイナンバーカードを紛失しました。利用停止と再発行の手続きを教えてください。
Mai nanbaa kaado o funshitsu shimashita. Riyou teishi to saihakkou no tetsuzuki o oshiete kudasai.

The Digital Agency publishes a 24-hour lost-card suspension number and municipal reissue process. Use the current official page.

Complete insurance scripts

City hall after job loss

You: 会社を退職し、健康保険の資格を喪失しました。国民健康保険に加入したいです。
Staff: 資格喪失証明書はありますか。
You: はい。加入日、保険料、資格確認書が届く時期を教えてください。マイナ保険証の登録状況も確認したいです。

Clinic after a recent job change

You: 最近転職し、保険情報が更新中です。マイナンバーカードで「資格情報なし」と表示されました。
Reception: 新しい保険者に確認してください。
You: 今日の支払い方法と、資格確認後の精算手続きを書いていただけますか。

Asking about a large bill

You: 来月、入院予定です。高額療養費制度と窓口の支払い上限について相談したいです。必要な申請と書類を教えてください。

Privacy and fraud safety

Do not photograph or paste unredacted My Number, eligibility certificates, prescriptions or medical receipts into public AI tools.

Ask staff:

この手続きで、マイナンバーの記載は必要ですか。
Kono tetsuzuki de, mai nanbaa no kisai wa hitsuyou desu ka.

提出先と利用目的を確認したいです。
Teishutsusaki to riyou mokuteki o kakunin shitai desu.

Use only official municipal, insurer, medical-facility and Digital Agency channels.

Family members and child medical subsidies

Public health insurance and local child medical subsidies are related but separate. Ask the employer or insurer about dependent eligibility, and ask the municipality about the child's subsidy certificate.

子どもを扶養に入れる手続きを確認したいです。
Kodomo o fuyou ni ireru tetsuzuki o kakunin shitai desu.
I want to confirm the procedure for adding my child as a dependent.

子どもの医療費助成は、別に申請が必要ですか。
Kodomo no iryouhi josei wa, betsu ni shinsei ga hitsuyou desu ka.

受給者証はマイナンバーカードと一緒に提示しますか。
Jukyuushashou wa mai nanbaa kaado to issho ni teiji shimasu ka.

転居した場合、助成の再申請が必要ですか。
Tenkyoo shita baai, josei no saishinsei ga hitsuyou desu ka.

Subsidy ages, copay rules and digital integration vary by municipality. Do not assume a benefit from another city continues automatically.

Leaving a job or Japan

When coverage ends, request proof and confirm the effective date.

退職日の翌日から保険資格がなくなりますか。
Taishokubi no yokujitsu kara hoken shikaku ga nakunarimasu ka.

資格喪失証明書はいつ発行されますか。
Shikaku soushitsu shoumeisho wa itsu hakkou saremasu ka.

出国前に返却する書類や、精算する保険料はありますか。
Shukkoku mae ni henkyaku suru shorui ya, seisan suru hokenryou wa arimasu ka.

Continue necessary medical care while administrative status is clarified; ask the provider and insurer how temporary full payment and later settlement apply to your case.

Practice plan

1. Practise enrollment after arrival or job loss.
2. Practise a My Number terminal failure at clinic reception.
3. Ask insured versus private-pay cost questions.
4. Confirm premium/payment and high-cost-care next steps.

Practise a city-hall insurance conversation, repeat a clinic eligibility problem, and try a high-cost-care question using fictional identifiers.

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Final checklist

Confirm:

• Correct insurer and scheme.
• Enrollment/loss date.
• Required documents.
• My Number registration or eligibility certificate.
• Premium and deadline.
• Clinic coverage and private-pay items.
• Reimbursement process.
• High-cost-care eligibility and documents.

End with:

手続き、必要書類、期限を確認できました。書面でもいただけますか。
Tetsuzuki, hitsuyou shorui, kigen o kakunin dekimashita. Shomen demo itadakemasu ka.

How we researched

We checked current MHLW guidance for foreign residents, Digital Agency My Number insurance FAQs, official municipal National Health Insurance information and Japanese medical-system resources on 22 October 2026.

This article provides language practice, not medical, insurance, tax or legal advice. Eligibility, premiums and reimbursement require confirmation from the responsible insurer or municipality.

Sources

• MHLW National Health Insurance guide for foreign residents
• Digital Agency My Number overview
• Digital Agency health-insurance certificate FAQ
• Shinjuku official National Health Insurance information
• Tokyo official medical information for foreign patients

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